Monthly Archives: August 2015

Went into Dublin to look for mount board and backing papers but couldn’t find anything special so am using my ever-dwindling stash of Papergenie and Coredinations.

Dublin was very busy. Not sure if it was the mad dash to get last minute uniforms and school shoes before the kids go back next week or what. Just too busy to stay and pooch around so didn’t exactly hunt high and low.

Popped into Ikea on the way back and it was, as ever, busy busy busy. Anyhoo, Ikea was Ikea. It is what it is. I bought a couple of large Ribba, a couple of small Ribba and a Virserum. I checked out the new fabrics they have in stock – nothing exciting.

On the way back, the rain lashed down for a while but when it dried up and the sun popped out there was the most beautiful rainbow – like the sky had been gift wrapped in irridescent ribbons. Ahh!

Anyway, finally despairing of ever finding lovely backing paper for the Time in A Bottle papercutting, I had a flash of inspiration – fabric. I still had some lovely pink tweed so Modged it onto some hardboard (MisterE cut it to size for me – thank you MisterE) as the backing layer.

I spray glued the cutting and pressed it down on the fabric and framed it all up. It looks lovely – though I say it myself! It’s now up on the wall in pride of place by the dining table.

The actual papercut is also listed on Etsy as a papercutting as well as the pdf template from a previous listing. I’m making it a limited edition of just 5 so each will be numbered and signed on the reverse. Why five? It’s too much work to do more than that!

Anyway, hope you like the mounting and it gives you ideas for picture framing in the future.

Heylo Dare! A Friday Freebie. I made a couple of phone cases last night. They took me about half an hour each and I wasn’t hooshing them along. Nope, a gentle pootle along with cups of tea and cake kind of make.

The template is easily adjusted and you can add a key fob or a lobster claw to clip to a bag strap or purse. Lots of possibilities.

Most importantly, they do all the wonderful things that us sewists love:

Use small pieces of fabric (stash busters)

Cheap to make

Quick to make (half and hour or so!)

Easy to make

Can be gussied up gorgeous for all ages and genders

AND very useful!

All of the above add up to craft fair sellers and gorgeous gifts that won’t bend the pennies or bust the bank.

The one in the picture is for my phone which is a Sony Xperia but the pattern is simple and easily tweaked to suit your phone or other sizes – Google to look for popular phones and their dimensions.

Anyhoo, here’s a free PDF including the template and instructions with photos and illustrations by me. Enjoy!

Things I love: sunshine, sunflowers and tea. This latest paper cut has them all and it’s called – surprise, surprise, ‘Sunshine in a cup’. The yellow backing card just isn’t vibrant or juicy enough and am on a mission to visit the one and only local ‘crafty’ place round here to see if they have any nice stock today. It’s to be framed, and, as you know, the mount and the frame make all the difference to the final piece.

Here it is against a dark background. Plenty of contrast but doesn’t suit the Sunshine in a Cup image (IMHO).

Against a gorgeous inky indigo blue grungy background. Contrast is good but definitely not appropriate (again, just my ever-so-‘umble opinion).

A gratuitous extra picture just to give MisterE some limelight (ha ha).

The template be in my Etsy shop tonight if you fancy a cup of sunshine yourself!

Me and the tree

Hello there!

This is a blog of many things and reflects my interests as they come and go. You’ll find Illustrator and Photoshop tutorials along with embroidery, sewing, crochet, baking and papercutting. It’s fairly eclectic.

The tree has long roots in Ireland in a garden full of flowers with lots of birds, bees and butterflies.

I live in a very happy home with Mr Tree and our two kitty girls, Gracie and Jess.